Week Fourteen

We've been delighted to watch conference yesterday and look forward to the sessions today. Some incredible messages and quotes that fit so well some of our investigator friends. We especially loved Elder Uchtdorf's talk about returning to what we know is right, and his charge to "First doubt your doubts, before you doubt your faith". We watched conference in our apartment yesterday morning and afternoon, then had a couple of our spanish elders here for dinner & went with them to the stake center for general priesthood meeting -- somewhat less people there now that it was broadcast on TV and on the internet. We had english, spanish, and portuguese broadcasts of conference showing in the stake center for the conference sessions. It's great to have these resources available! 

Elder Cook, Bro Ordinola, and Elder Baugh at the
Orlando South stake center

Last Sunday we got this picture of our spanish elders in the Windy Ridge ward with Bro Ordinola, first counselor to Bp Andrade. Bro Ordinola is awesome – he often translates between spanish, english, and portuguese for talks at church. His son (soon to return from BYU), just got his mission call to serve in the Brazil Fortaleza mission! We saw the Fortaleza temple site when we visited Brazil a few years ago, but it wasn't yet under construction then. It should completed while Elder Ordinola is there on his mission.

The Missionary Leadership Council of the Florida Orlando Mission

Elders Patten and Thomas

Tuesday we met with the missionary leadership council, where Sis Nielson and Sis Berry presented a powerpoint talks on the use of the Missionary Adjustment resource booklet. It was invigorating to observe the wisdom and maturity of these young missionaries as they discussed the challenges, patience, and love that it requires to encourage and strengthen new missionaries and work with members, ward leaders, and investigators. As always, Pres Berry has great wisdom to lead and guide. Also had a great presentation by Bro Herzog, the mission public affairs coordinator, on dealing with media and the Book of Mormon musical that will soon run in Orlando. We're missing Sister Higley in the above picture because Sis Berry noticed she was about to faint, so Sis Berry and Sis Nielson helped her out to a couch where she laid down most of the meeting ... flu and exhaustion. Some of the elders at the back right are standing on chairs to be taller than Elder Patten. The picture at the right shows Elder Patten with Elder Thomas, who's not necessarily short himself. 

During lunch after the morning meetings, a lady came to ask help with dedicating the burial site for a member who lived by this chapel. She drove over to Orlando from the coast, hoping to find someone at the church to give the support she needed. Fortunately we were there for this meeting and afterward contacted the bishop and some other senior missionaries who will help with the dedication arrangements.

MLC Lunch @ Birthday Cake Time

Sis Berry thinks of everything. She brought three birthday cakes for the MLC members who have birthdays this week so we could wish them a happy birthday.  We all enjoyed Sis Higley's birthday cake except her ... she was still laying down wishing she didn't have the flu.

Elders Curtis, Starks, Socarras, Dial, and Busath moving furniture

On Monday I helped Elder Busath move furniture to different missionary apartments. Here are Elders Curtis, Starks, Socarras, Dial, and Busath after loading the trailer with furniture from the foursome apartment in Poinciana. It was great to have some strong elders to help with this!

Fallen "Palm Leaves"

Sunrise over MetroWest Orlando

With lower temperatures (high 80's to low 90's) palm trees are starting to shed their top bark, which looks like warped pieces of plywood, that falls near the trunks like leaves. We also saw a nice sunrise as we walked wednesday morning. 

Elder Jensen and Elder Beaulieu

This is Elder Jensen and Elder Beaulieu, who helped us on friday to load out a queen bed and replace it with another twin bed so they'd have more room in their apartment and we'd have a larger bed for a senior couple who will arrive into our mission next week.   

Twisted tree with Spanish Moss by the golf course

We liked this tree we passed on our saturday morning walk. 


Here's also a picture of our apartment building, and of some ant hills and squirrels that we saw while walking.  The ant hills are significant because we've had many missionaries with fire ant bites in the last week or two ... we think they may be more active right new, since we didn't see as many fresh ant hills until lately. We advise them to not linger on the grass!

Our Apartment Building in Harbortown, MetroWest

Ant Hills

Squirrels by our apartment